Panel-type heater



May 27, 1952 G. N. MGKIBBIN PANEL TYPE HEATER Filed Aug. 24, 1949 o 0 0o 0 Q 0 D o O ff 1 l r i l vvl Nff) f I Bnnentor l )l Geo/ye MMC/@'56t/z/ Gttornegs Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEPANEL-TYPE HEATER George N. McKibbin, Baton Rouge, La.

Application August 24, 1949, Serial No. 112,103

4 claims. 1

This invention relates to space heaters for buildings and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved panel-type spaceheater which is very eiective as a heat exchanger for heating theinterior of buildings, while at the same time being extremely economicalto produce or fabricate.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved panel-typeheating unit as above characterized, which may be used in place of wallboards, ceiling boards and the like to function as a structuralcomponent of the building.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved heatingpanel or unit as set forth above, which is adapted to be used with othersimilar units in abutting relation whereby an entire wall or ceilingsurface may be made up of said units.

A feature of the invention is the provision of efficient andeconomically produceable paneltype heater units in standard sizeswhereby they may be readily incorporated in a building structure withoutrequiring excessive cutting, fitting and the like.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of improved panel-typeheating units as characterized above, which are rigid and sturdy inconstruction and reliable in operation over an extended period of use.

O-ther features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of two paneltype heating units madeaccording to the invention, said units being secured Atogether .inabutting relation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, enlarged, taken on line2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, enlarged, taken on line 3 3 ofFig. l, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top view of adjacent, abutting portions of thepanel units of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the improved, panel-type structural heatingunit of this invention comprises a sheet or plate I which is formed ofmetal and preferably of aluminum having a suitable thickness to impartthe necessary strength and rigidity to it, the plate being made instandard sizes such as 4 by 8 whereby it may constitute a surfacing unitto replace the usual wall board or ceiling board.

Each plate IIJ is provided with a plurality of depressions II soarranged that the points of nails may be positioned by the depressionsand the nails driven through the plates to secure the latter to thejoists or beams of a building structure.

On the rear of each plate ID a heating coil I2 is disposed, the saidcoil being preferably formed of a plurality of lU-shaped tubes or pipesI3 which may be advantageously made of copper. The U sections I3 haveelbows I4 at their eX- tremities, joined together by short nipples I5which are preferably of attened or oval crosssection except at the endswhere they enter the elbows I4.

As shown in Fig. 3, the attening of the nipples I5 requires that thejoists I8 of a building be notched only to a relatively shallow depth toprovide clearance for the nipples; a much deeper notching of thesejoists would be necessary if the nipples were not flattened in themanner indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. y

The elbows I4 may be secured to the U sections of the pipes I3 in anysuitable manner, as by soldering, brazing, etc.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a U-shaped connector Il may be providedbetween the two panel units I0 and may be sweated into the elbows I4,the latter being preferably turned at right angles to the plates I0 forthis purpose.

In accordance with this invention, novel and improved means are providedfor securing the heating coils I2 to the rear surfaces of the plates I0to insure good heat conduction to said plates, and to provide adequateheat insulation at the rear of the plates. This means comprises a metallath I8 which is also preferably of aluminum, the said lath being bentand made to closely overlie the heating coils and the rear of the plate,and being secured to the plates IQ at a plurality of points as byspot-welding indicated at I9, Fig. 2. After the lath I8 has been securedto the plate I0, a heat insulating plaster I8a is applied to the lath,and such plaster may for example be composed of asbestos fiber with asuitable plaster binder, or may be any of the various Vcommercialpreparations well known to the trade, as for example Ehrets Magnesia.

The plaster may be troweled on the lath or worked into it in any desiredmanner, and is preferably applied so that air spaces 20, Fig. 2, existon both sides of the pipes I3, enabling heat to be radiated directlyfrom the pipe sections to the plates I0 so as to further increase theefficiency of heat exchange between the pipes and the plate.

I prefer to Acompletely fabricate each panel heating unit at one pointofmanufacture, as-

sembling the heating coils I 2, lath I8 and plaster coating Ia to theplate I0 to produce a structural wall surfacing unit which is completein and of itself and of a standard size enabling it to be readilyinstalled in ordinary buildings. The spacing between the nipples I5 ispreferably equivalent to the space between the joists IB as found instandard practice.

The heating coil I2 may carry any suitable heating medium, such aswater, water vapor, etc.

I have thus provided, by this invention, a wall and ceiling panel-typeheater unit which is very efficient in heating the rooms of buildingsand the like due to the large heating area exposed, and which is adaptedto be used as a structural building unit to replace conventional walland ceiling boards. Moreover, the heating unit which I have provided maybe very economically fabricated of materials which are easily worked andassembled, and which are commercially available in abundant supply. Thecost of the materials and the assembly cost of the units are relativelylow, whereby the units may be economically fabricated and sold at anattractive gure to warrant large volume. Each unit, being complete inand of itself, may be assembled with other similar units and quicklyerected on the job in the various arrangements which may be specified bythe heating engineer.

By the provision of the present improved heating unit there is obviatedthe necessity for the heavy and cumbersome steam and hot water radiatorspreviously used in building construction, or the later type thin-finnedrecessed radiators which are undesirable because of their dust-catchingcharacteristics. With the present improved panel-type unit heaters norecesses or projecting members are involved, thus making for the utmostcleanliness. By virtue of the large exposed area, effective heating ofthe room interior by radiation is attained.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claimsand portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A unitary building panel heating unit coinprising a sheet-metal wallor ceiling plate having front and rear sides; a tubular metal heatingcoil arranged in a flat formation commensurate with the size of theplate, said coil having adjacent portions disposed atwise in heattransferring engagement with the rear surface of the plate; a metal lathsection contacting and secured to the rear side of the plate at aplurality of points and having portions of relatively large area insubstantial engagement with the plate, said lath also having formedchannel-shaped portions overlying said heating coil portions andmaintaining the same in place against the plate; and heat-insulatingplaster permeating and closely conforming to the rear surface of saidlath and covering the said heating coil, said plaster having large areasof intimate contact with said plate between the said adjacent portionsof the coil.

2. The invention as dened in claim 1, in which the lath and plaster arearranged to provide air spaces on opposite sides of the coil adjacentthe rear surface of the plate, thereby to enable heat to be radiatedfrom the coil to the plate over a substantial area.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which the heating coil hasrelatively short transverse connector portions at locationscorresponding to the spacing of building studs, said connector portionsjoining together relatively long main portions of the coil and beingflattened to reduce the front-to-back thickness of the unit, and inwhich the lath where it overlies the connector portions of the coil isleft exposed and free of plaster at the rear of the unit to providemaximum clearance for said studs.

4. The invention as dened in claim 1, in which the heating coil hasrelatively short transverse connector portions at locationscorresponding to the spacing of building studs, said connector portionsjoining together relatively long main portions of the coil andcomprising elbows joined together by flattened nipples to reduce thefront-to-back thickness of the unit at said connector portions andthereby provide maximum clearance for said studs.

GEORGE N. MCKIBBIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,086,898 Crone Feb. 10, 19141,718,533 Crittal et al. June 25, 1929 1,740,336 Crittal et al. Dec. 17,1929 1,910,105 Herring May 23, 1933 2,338,090 Bradfield Jan. 4, 1944FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 260,414 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1926307,219 Great Britain Mar. '7, 1929 321,450 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1929OTHER REFERENCES Radiant Heating by Adlam, 1st edition, 1947, publishedby the Industrial Press.

